The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-07-25
REV. DR.. McCLYNN.
Rev. Henry Bianchard's Sermon Up
on Ills Accommodation.

The Rev. Henry Blanchard, pastor of Con-
gress Square church, preached yesterday
morning on the accommodation of DR.. Nc
Glynn. Although the rain poured in tor
rents while the church bells were ringing,
there was an excellent attendance for the
day. Mr.. Blanchard spoke for nearly an
hour. The following is much condensed
abstract of his earnest words.
The texts were from Matt. 18th chap. 32d
verse: "And whatsoever speaketh word
against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven
him; but whosoeyer speaketh against the
Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him nei-
Their in this world, neither in the world to
come" and Luke, 18th chap, 57th verse,
eYea, and why even of yourselves Judge We
not what is right?" In reading the scripture
lesson, from which the first text was taken,
Mr.. Blanchard explained the words as mean
ing shining against the light" disobedi-
ence to conscience and quoted appropriate
words from DR.. McGlynn's speech at the
New York Academy of Music, Sunday even
ing, July 10th. Having announced the texts,
Mr.. Blanchard began by saying, 1t seems to
me my imperative duty to speak to you this
morning concerning the accommodation of
DIR. McGlynn. As some of you are already
aware, my father is Roman Catholic;
man of education and graduate of West
Point My only own sister is one of the
devoutest Catholics in America, whose broth
er-in-law is one of the best and most honor
ed prelates of the Roman church-Arch-
bishop Elder of Cincinnati. l was myself
baptised Catholic, when l was II years old.
But as it was done without the knowledge of
my father, who was then absent in the war
with Mexico, and without understanding
OF its meaning on my part, and as | never
went to confession or partook of the commu-
Mon think you will agree with me that the
touch upon my forehead did not make me a
Roman Catholic. speak then as a friend of
the Roman church and not as its enemy.
speak also as student of history, who can
see how much good as well as evil that
church has done in the world. speak also
as the minister of free Christianity, as the
disciple of One who came to stimulate mems
minds, who said, "Why even of yourselves,
judge We not what is right
Who, then, is DR.. McGlynn, and why has
accommodation been hurled against him?
Edward McGlynn is native of the City of
New York, a graduate of the public schools,
student of Catholic theology, under the
shadow of the Vatican, the rector of the
parish OF ST. Stephens, whose members num-
Der twenty-five thousand. He is known.
loved and honored as the friend of the poor.
he has been opposed to the system of paro-
chial schools, and has been always an ardent
advocate of our system of public school edu-
cation.
Within few years he became interested
In Mr.. Henry Georges fascinating book en-
titled Progress and Poverty" He has be-
come converted to its views. He has made
public announcement of his conversion. He
has spoken in the political meetings in adj
vocacy of what is called 1.-THE Nationalist
ton of Land" Mr.. Blanchard here eulo-
gized very warmly Henry George as a mar,
but expressed his deepening dissent from
Mr.. Georges main opinion, that taxation en-
land values would be the great Panacea for
the evils OF the world.--He has rendered
great service, However, by showing men that
land must be distinguished from all other
property, because it is created by God, and is
limited in amount. He has shown, also, the
need OF better system of taxation.
Inc speakers criticism is this:
Mr. George expects too much from the
betterment of outward conditions.
Christ's way is still the only way-the i'm
provement of the inward man. DR.. Nc
Glynn also seems to expect too much from
change of outward material conditions. But
he has right to his opinions and right to
advocate them, as a citizen of the Republic
1t is for this advocacy that he is summoned
to Rome. Ostensibly the accommodation
comes because he would not:ebey the sum-
mons. The real reason is to be found quite
as much In his doctrine concerning the land
as in his refusal to go to Rome. Now one of
two things has happened. In excommuni-
eating DIR. McGlynn, the Pope has either done
wrong or he has done right. 1t is affirmed
by distinguished Roman Catholic writer on
Economical Law" in letter which appeared
in the New York Trib une, that the Pope
had no right to excummunicate Dr. McGlynn
without affording him a fair trial. Will the
Catholics Of America consider this question:
VIII they protest against the wrong, if wrong
has been committed? Before the adoption
OF the dogma Of "Papal Infallibility." Ger
man and American bishops protested against
ITS adoption: Gladstone has Numbered
against the Vatican DEGREES" but the bish
ops have remained SILENT viii the writer
in the New York Tribune maintain silence
also?
If the Pope has done right, then his power
Is constant menace to Republican form
OF government. DR.. McGlynn maintains
that in affairs spiritual he will bow to the
authority OF the church as exercised by the
Pope, but that in things temporal he is a free
man: The church has not even examined
the doctrine concerning land which he advo-
Gates, much less condemned it. From Rome.
therefore, he will take his religion but NOT
his politics. If Dr. McGlynn, therefore. is
wrong and the Pope is right, then the allegi
ance OF the citizen to the State is inferior to
his allegiance to the Pope, and the pope NAV
dictate to any Roman Catholic American
what shall be his political opinions and Ills
political action
Such power is constant menace to this
nation and all other nations of Christendom.
MI. blanchard here dwelt at length upon
the doctrine of Papal sovereignty over ali
the rulers OF the world unused when the
church is powerless to be employed when it
has the power. He spoke with great earnest
ness OF the eternal danger to the republic,
which would be the issue of the wide ac
ceptance of such dogma.
What, then, is the accommodation 1t
is command of the Pope, forbidding ali
priests to give the Sacrament to DR.. Nc
Glynn, and at his death refusing SO called
Christian burial for his body. There are
other particulars, but these are the main
ones. Here, then, is man who has loved
the poor, who has won the esteem of all the
clergy Of New York, who honestly believes
that he has found a solution for the larger
part of the evils of the world, who stands
for the freedom of the American citizen. INF
is willing to submit to the authority of the
church when exercised in its proper province,
who loves God and longs to make better this
sorrowing world, and, because he believes
that the land Of every nation should belong
to the nation instead of to the few, and be.
cause he refuses to obey what he believes to
be an uncanonical command, such man is
20 be refused Christian burial, is to be de-
MED the Sacrament! Mr.. Blanchard here
explained the philosophy of Catholicism
with regard to the consecrated bread. IL Is
taught that by the prayers of the priest ma
terial bread is changed into the Spiritual
body Of Christ, who is God. Now as there
is physical body and spiritual body. the
spiritual body requires the nourishment of
the spiritual body of Christ in the conse-
Grated bread. To be denied this, is to he ent
off from blessed immortality Dr. Nc
Glynn bravely meets these two points of the
accommodation. AS for his body he has
no solicitude as to what shall become of it.
AS to the Eucharist, he can consecrate the
bread himself He believes that he is Still q
priest of God. '''
Let the young Irish-American Catholics
study the life Of this man and consider the
rQnaixyipcr tha sAAS